Top Stories: The Future Of Straight-Ticket Voting In Texas; Cliburn's Russian Adventure

More Texas lawmakers are calling for the state to end straight-ticket voting. That’s when a person can vote for one political party down the ballot. Most states do not allow straight-ticket voting.

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State Rep. Ron Simmons, a Carrollton Republican, has filed legislation to end this type of voting in Texas. State House Speaker Joe Straus says ending straight-ticket voting would encourage voters to learn more about candidates, instead of voting by party.

Ross Ramsey is executive editor of the Texas Tribune. He talked with David Brown, host of public radio’s Texas Standard.

Other stories this afternoon:

The Declaration of Independence says that “all men are created equal.” Since those words were written, white Americans have enjoyed clear advantages. Today on “Think,” Krys Boyd talked with Eddie S. Glaude Jr., chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, about what he calls America’s “value gap.”

In May, 30 of the world’s best younger pianists will travel to Fort Worth for the next Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. It’s considered one of the world’s top classical music contests. Last month, audition judges heard contest hopefuls in the Russian capital of Moscow. Cliburn won a big competition there 59 years ago. KERA’s Bill Zeeble traveled to Moscow and talked with some of the pianists hoping for their big break that could change their careers forever.

You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.

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